Unions

May 12, 2009 -- "Although the Social Security and Medicare Trustees’ 69th annual report on the program’s financial and actuarial status was released in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the trustees reaffirm that the Social Security system is sound and faces no immediate danger.

Despite rhetoric from Social Security alarmists and doomsday prognosticators the program continues to run large surpluses and remains capable of paying scheduled benefits in full for the next three decades. Radical changes are not necessary to bridge short-term revenue decreases or to address the program’s long-term solvency.    » read more »

Washington, DC (May 13, 2009) – Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW) today praised the progress made by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee in its work to pass comprehensive climate change legislation with the following statement:

“The USW has been working to ensure that the new products and processes which will build the clean energy economy and solve the challenge of climate change are created here in the U.S. and built by American workers. We believe that addressing climate change and ensuring the strength of our nation’s manufacturing sector can be compatible goals.    » read more »

"Faith Leaders for Workplace Fairness" says labor law reform, restoring balance to economy, is "a moral imperative"

May 12, 2009 -- Washington, DC-- Prominent interfaith leaders today called on Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, calling it a "moral imperative" and a civil and human right. The diverse group included Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners, Dr. Joseph Fahey of Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice, Bishop Greg Rickel of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, and Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, former Executive Director of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation.

Leaders of the new group, called Faith Leaders for Workplace Fairness, spoke on a conference call for press moderated by Kim Bobo of Interfaith Worker Justice.    » read more »

May 11, 2009 -- Today’s letter of support for the Employee Free Choice Act from an international coalition of institutional investors – representing over $372 billion in assets – adds a critically important voice to the effort to rebuild our struggling economy and restore workers’ rights. This significant endorsement reflects both a commitment to protecting workers freedom of association and a duty to support policies that promote long-term financial stability.    » read more »

May 11, 2009 --WASHINGTON, DC-"Today, four years of unrelenting efforts by SEIU members to create a new American healthcare system that lowers cost, improves quality and is affordable for every American took a giant step forward. For SEIU members like Pat DeJong from Montana whose medical bills cost her the family ranch and Paula Hall from Washington State whose medical debt forced her into bankruptcy, peace of mind and real change are now achievable.

From the start, SEIU has worked with the belief that this is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem - it's an American problem and at the heart of who we are as a country," said SEIU President Andy Stern.    » read more »

May 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC-- "SEIU members wake up and work hard to put food on the table and strengthen their community while getting through a healthcare crisis, a housing crisis, a higher education crisis and the list goes on and on. At the same time, American businesses reap the benefits of millions spent on Washington lobbying with tax codes that allow them to shirk their responsibility to pay taxes and actually pay them to create jobs overseas instead of here in America," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger.    » read more »

Workers Can Go to www.unemploymentlifeline.com for Assistance

May 08, 2009 -- America’s workers are suffering through the worst job loss in a generation, while too many politicians continue to stand in the way of urgently needed government action and reform. Addressing the deeply rooted problems in our labor market is just as important to ending the recession as fixing the banking system.

We lost 539,000 jobs in April, bringing the total job loss since the recession began to over 5.7 million and the unemployment rate to 8.9 %. While job loss slowed last month, the number of people unemployed for a long time has risen, and as a result of George Bush’s disastrous policies, this is now the longest recession since World War II.    » read more »

May 8, 2009 -- Oakland, CA-- In a major victory for California's 250,000 In-Home Supportive Service (IHSS) workers and the 440,000 seniors and people with disabilities who rely on IHSS for daily care, the Obama Administration has ruled that proposed cuts to the IHSS program violate the terms of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The ruling came after the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and its California affiliates, SEIU UHW and SEIU Locals 521 and 6434, requested an opinion from Health and Human Services on whether California's proposed cuts violate the maintenance of effort clause of the ARRA.    » read more »

May 6, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.--SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger released the following statement on the federal government's Stress Tests for Bank of America:

"Today's stress test results prove what concerned shareholders, taxpayers and bank employees have been saying all along--Bank of America is a sinking ship that needs more than just a change in captain to address fundamentally unsustainable and irresponsible business practices that are bad for consumers, bad for employees and dangerous for our larger economy.    » read more »

May 6, 2009 -- Washington, DC -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today denounced attempts by the Chinese government to unduly influence members of the International Trade Commission’s (ITC) examination of imports. The delegation expressed particular concerns about a recently filed petition relating to tires from China exported to the U.S.

“It’s inappropriate under our trade laws that the Chinese government would argue the merits of their case in what was supposed to be a general information meeting,” said USW International president Leo W. Gerard. “They are not new to this process – this misconduct was totally improper and we commend the ITC for recognizing it.”    » read more »

May 4, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today signed into law landmark legislation that will help companies create new jobs, allow Colorado to compete against other states for new businesses, and strengthen community college job-training programs to better meet the workforce needs of emerging industries of the future.

"The two bills I signed today mark a key step toward our long-term vision of creating a modern, knowledge-based economic ecosystem in Colorado," Gov. Ritter said during an outdoor signing ceremony on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. "This ecosystem depends on controlling healthcare costs, reforming education and building a 21st-century transportation system.    » read more »

SEIU, MoveOn.org and other Community Groups Collect 70,000+ 'Taxpayer Proxies' to Call for Ousting of CEO Ken Lewis, Reform of Predatory Banking Practices, Voice for Bank Workers

April 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC--Fueled by mounting frustration over an economic system that rewards corporate executives for their bad decisions while working people struggle to stay afloat, tens of thousands of taxpayers took action today at Bank of America branches across the country in advance of Bank of America's Annual Shareholder Meeting.    » read more »

April 28, 2009 -- "It's clear to us that the right-wing conservatives in control of the leadership of the Republican party in Pennsylvania left Senator Specter long ago and we are pleased that he has decided to do the same.

"Just as he did with his leadership on the economic stimulus bill, Senator Specter has once again demonstrated the political courage it takes to put the interests of the working families of Pennsylvania ahead of partisanship. We have always had tremendous common ground with Senator Specter on issues important to working families including the need for reform to our nation's labor laws.

"We look forward to continuing our long history of working with Senator Specter to create positive change for the working families of Pennsylvania."

Source: SEIU

April 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Change to Win chair and SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger released the following statement on today’s bipartisan vote by the U.S. Senate to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“The 6 million hardworking Change to Win affiliate members hoped the current economic crisis and overwhelming burden healthcare costs place on working families would be enough for a speedy confirmation. We are encouraged that obstructionists in the Senate have finally realized that dragging their feet on reforming our healthcare system only harms working families, small businesses and our economy. A potential pandemic with severe economic consequences only reaffirmed the immediate and critical need for leadership at HHS.    » read more »

Commemorates Those Lost on Workers Memorial Day

April 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is a statement from Change to Win Executive Director Chris Chafe on Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2009.

“Each year, thousands of workers are killed on the job and millions more sustain workplace injuries. According to the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than four million workers were injured on the job and nearly 6,000 were killed by injuries due to job-site hazards in 2007 alone. Thousands more died of job-related diseases.    » read more »